Consumed: Always
by HettyBobcat
Summary: ZADR* Obsession can seem innocent enough, at first. Usually, the obsessor can't even see it. But time and intensity can turn even the most bitter fixation into an all-consuming passion.
1. PrologueChapter 1

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Prologue: **

A pale hand touched lightly to the bulbous semi-circular head-set over his ears. Listening through the tearing static, voices could be heard and so he pressed harder, squeezing the phones tight against his head, blocking out all extraneous noise. He was certain he heard a comment about serving curly-fries, but what jumped out at him, what really caught his attention, was the unmistakable reference to taking over the universe.

Dib's pulse quickened. The realization that his tireless research, his un-ending monitoring, had come to fruition was both exciting and terrifying to the 11 year old boy. After all these years, aliens!

--

Shooting through the cold depths of space with no more than a singing robot for company, a green-skinned invader sojourned through the black to his destination and glory. He passed as much time as he could going through his databases for information on the unknown planet to which he had been assigned, but as it was a secret planet and a secret mission, no information was available at all. So he sat in his Voot-Cruiser listening to what certainly must have been the last few stanzas of an already 6 month-long song consisting of only one word repeated tirelessly from the mouth of the alien's information-retrieval unit. The tiny robot floated weightlessly in the cockpit of the space-vessel.

"Doomy doom doom! Doomy doom doom! Doomy doomy doom doom…"

Six months of deafening silence would have been preferable. The invader was certain part of his brain had melted away and he just knew he would never be able to perceive the sound "Doom" as a recognizable word any more.

At the breaking point when he was just about to throttle his side-kick, notification came from his computer. The planet was in sight.

"…Planet Earth. This must be the place." Zim's elation was masked by a hard, professional attitude. Quieting his spastic robot, GIR, he set about phase one on every invader's planet-conquering-check-list. He had never conquered a planet before but he did not see his lack of experience as a handicap in any way. In fact, he considered himself to be quite powerful and adept. Spouting off the step-by-step as he had learned it in the academy, he tried to enlighten his less-than on-the-ball companion in "invading 101."

"You have to observe what these… 'Earthenoids' consider to be normal. Then, based on your observations, we make our disguises and our home."

He rubbed his gloved hands menacingly. Oh yes. Planet Earth was doomed.

-----

**Chapter 1:**

Dib sat on the edge of his bed. He was making notes in a very worn-looking notebook, gently touching the sides of a small pair of headphones. He paused in his writing to look up and away, focusing on the sounds. He pressed the ear-bud harder.

No light was turned on in his room but the evening sun warmed even the dim corners. A divided rectangular swatch of brilliant light slowly crept across the floor, lengthening Dib's already tall shadow. He was no longer a child. Eleven years had passed. He was lanky and tall but slightly muscular. His black hair looked purposefully unkempt, having gotten much thicker than he wore it as a boy. He kept the sides and back cropped very short, the top, though thick and shaggy, still maintained the scythe-like sprig of hair that never would lay down. It was like a cow-lick - super-sized! He didn't mind it, though. It's part of what made him, him. And even if nobody else in the world liked him, he still liked himself, and that's what counted.

He idly plucked a white piece of lint from his black pants and flicked it away from himself. He twiddled his fingers until it floated away. Dib went back to decoding.

His life, to this point, had been centered around exposing Zim, the alien who had come to invade all those years before. Anyone on the outside looking in - Dib's sister, Gaz, for instance - would have been able to see that the alien had never even come close to conquering earth and likely never would.

But Dib's life had been paranormal investigating and what's more paranormal to investigate than a legitimate extra terrestrial residing on earth with plans on readying the planet for global conquest by an expansive armada of fellow aliens?! If the prospect wasn't so macabre, Dib would have acknowledged to himself that he was in hog-heaven.

And so since the green-skinned Irken planted himself on Earth 11 years ago, Dib's sole reason for existing had been Zim.

He scrawled some symbols in an alien language on the paper. He wrote small, clutching the pencil near the tip, applying a lot of pressure. Dib was an intense person and he carried that intensity into everything he did. He took everything seriously. As he continued to write, the pencil lead dulling much too quickly, the words really seemed to come clear to him. His focus was so complete and his understanding of the language so much better now, he felt as if he were reading English. Zim's voice came through crackled and broken over the poor communication system. Dib was using an old spy-probe that had been damaged years before. It still continued to work, but just barely.

"Who are you talking to?" Dib murmured under his breath to the disembodied voice.

------

Zim's lab was darkened. Red lights highlighted the tops of wires and tubes. Everything was very practical. In the underground portion of his base nothing was built for aesthetics. Everything had a purpose. Efficient. That's how Zim liked things. Since his time on Earth, he had never known complete efficiency. It grated on his high, Irken sensibilities. But he had learned to take it all in stride. When his incompetent robot, GIR, destroyed something, he would scream, all sound and fury, signifying nothing. In the end, he would sigh and let it go at that.

Like Dib, Zim was incredibly intense. He over-focused on everything he did. It wasn't for lack of focus that he failed so much. He couldn't help it, he was just incredibly disorganized and inept. However, he was much too full of himself to realize.

He brushed a tear of boredom from his bulbous, red, pupil-less eye. He pushed his fingers together into the spaces between them to make his black gloves fit more snugly. A small, horned alien was displayed on a flat monitor on a huge wall of tubes, cords, and wires.

Zim spoke in his native tongue to the other alien.

"I told you I don't need anymore of the fizzy compound! I have a lot of the fizzy compound!"

The Vortian tried to interject over the fuming Irken. "Well so do we, Zim! We have a lot of the fizzy compound too!"

"Not my problem! Not my problem! I want you to stop sending me the fizzy stuff!"

"We're not sending you more! We're sending back what you sent us! We don't want it! It's already out of our inventory! It'll mess up our audit if we have stuff in stock that we we're not supposed to have."

"Hey! You listen here! I didn't ask for 500 cases of the fizzy compound! I wanted 5 cases of the fizzy and I wanted 10 cases of the goopy stuff! The goopy blue stuff! You got the numbers wrong, you got the delivery wrong. I want to send the fizzy stuff back and I want you to send me the goopy blue stuff!"

The gray, horned Vortian held up his hands in defeat. He closed his eyes and turned his head. "You're right. We messed up the order. I'll fix it."

Zim smiled at this. Finally, he was making some progress. He had only been on this call for the last hour!

"What I need you to do," the Vortian continued, "is fill out this form I'm about to send to you. I'm gonna circle the boxes you need to check and then, if you don't mind, I need you to fill out the questionnaire on the back. Then in 4 to 5 weeks…"

Zim cut the petite bureaucrat off before he went any further with his talk of red-tape.

"Zim will not stand for this kind of customer service!! Get your manager on the vid NOW!" He seethed. The alien supplier dead-panned a moment as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. With a bit of confidence back, now having his proverbial legs put back under him, he responded.

"Zim, you know as well as I do that you aren't technically allowed to order anything. Your ordering rights were revoked by the Tallest. So all of this ordering stuff is under-the-table anyway. You want to talk to my supervisors? You want me to get my manager? Fine, Zim. You be the one to explain why you have 500 cases of a fizzy compound you aren't technically allowed to have."

Zim stopped short, his expression never changing from one of barely-contained displeasure. Both stared hard at one another through the video link for a long time. Zim spoke up, practically peeling his lips open, speaking through clenched teeth. "Fine." His voice was low. "I'll keep the fizzy compound. Just you send me the goopy blue stuff - soon."

"But what about the questionnaire…" The Vortian was cut off as Zim clicked a button on his keyboard. He sat in his seat, his long, slender arms crossed over his chest. He slumped with an angry pout on his lips and a deeply furrowed brow.

A tiny robot ran by screaming in what one could only assume was intense elation. Zim sighed.

---------


	2. Chapter 2

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 2:**

Dib paced around what would have been a very nice living-room had someone decorated it as if they lived there. Dib had file-folders, manila envelopes, maps, books, and other miscellaneous items scattered over the coffee table.

The 22 year old man ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't accomplishing anything, just pacing. His mind was a whirlwind of activity.

"What could Zim be up to this time?"

His heart palpitated. His stomach fluttered. This nervousness. Dib could feel it coming on. He knew the sensation well enough by now. A panic attack.

Searching out his panic medication, Dib tried to remember his calming-down techniques. "I don't know why I let myself get so worked up. I can only handle the situation with a clear, calm head." he scolded and coached himself.

Bare feet made soft padding sounds as he walked over the impossibly clean carpet, through a dim living room, past a darkened hallway, into a small, featureless bathroom. He flicked on a light. The yellow illumination spilled out into the hallway making the darkness seem even deeper. He opened his mirror-medicine cabinet, reaching for a half-filled orange prescription bottle. He quickly opened the child-proof cap, popping one of the small tablets hastily, hoping he caught it in time before the hyperventilation started. He closed the cabinet door. Himself and his plain bathroom came into his view through the glass. He could practically see the clamminess of his skin. He ran his trembling hands over his cheeks and stared at himself wide-eyed before a scowl crossed his features. A quick slap across his jaw and a mind-clearing shake of his head. He inhaled deeply then released it. Ah, cathartic.

Dib's panic attacks had occurred for years. They seemed to get worse with time. He would be fine, but the moment his thoughts drifted on Zim, his blood pressure went up and his thinking clouded. So many years and nothing. So many times Zim prepared for Earth's destruction and so many failures. Dib's personal victories didn't make him complacent, however. In fact, quite the opposite. He just kept waiting. His obsessiveness lead the paranormal investigator and his analytic mind to create connections and patterns in the alien's behavior where none existed. His mind was playing a numbers game with him and he was clearly over-thinking every answer.

If anyone in the world had cared to pay even the most remote attention to the boy, they could easily have pointed out to him this personality flaw. But whether Dib would listen is another story and the fact that no one _did_ pay even the most remote attention to him rendered the hypothesis moot.

He isolated himself. In his mind, he did it to remain professional. No distractions! His life's mission was to protect the planet and it's inhabitants. But the truth of the matter was, he was alone by default.

The only thing that mattered was Zim. The only thing that existed was Zim.

Dib pulled on his boots and grabbed his long, black trench coat from the coat rack by the door. He had to see him. He had to know what was going on. He kept close tabs on the invader at all times and his suspicion and curiosity were killing him at the moment.

"I've got to know what he's up to. I've got to know what all that talk was about chemical compounds." He pulled his door open. The walk-way past his apartment was lit by street lamps and he seemed little more than a shadow amidst the night. A flick of the knob to check that his domicile was secure and he was gone, running, coat flapping behind him, to the base of his enemy.

-----

Dib hid in the bushes of a house bordering the cul-de-sac where Zim lived. The strangely angular, teal house sat in silence. All the lights were off but a flickering bluish glow through the window. GIR was probably watching tv in the "living room."

An hour had passed. Dib was bored and frustrated but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He just knew he was bound to see a glimpse of the alien. That's all he wanted. Just to see some sign of him. Not for any other reason than to satisfy his curiosity. He knew the alien was up to something sinister and he was going to catch him in the act. He slinked from the bushes cautiously. He checked back and forth. Realizing no one was around, he stood up straight, shrugged his shoulders, and walked brazenly over the pavement to Zim's yard.

The grass was shaggy and a little high. Dib stopped at the sidewalk - an outsider looking in. The bizarre house was so very familiar to him now. Not just in an investigatory perspective, but personally. Hardly a day had passed in his life when he had not seen either the house or its inhabitant. In fact, his daily drive to work took him right past this street and he always found himself turning his head in an almost longing manner.

Having done this hundreds of times, he crouched low, slinking behind the over-sized lawn gnome sentries. From behind each of them in the darkness of the night, he tied a little black bandana around their eyes. Once the gnomes were blinded, Dib walked up to Zim's door. He stood millimeters from it, his nose practically touching the "Men's Room" sign. He checked his resolve for some initiative to do something but found it lacking. His determined features dropped and with a resigned sigh, he turned and slumped in a sitting position, leaning against the alien's door.

He stared up at the cloudy sky, vaguely paying attention to the sound his hair made pressed between his head and the surface behind him.

"What am I doing?" he whispered to himself oh so quietly. A tear made it's way down his cheek. In a frustrated haste, he wiped it away with the palm of his hand then transferred the wetness to his pant-leg. He sniffled, composing himself, absolutely drowning in confusion. He didn't know why he was feeling emotional. In fact, he didn't know _what_ he was feeling at all!

Days had gone by without so much as a peek of Zim. Not a word at all until the crackly transmission yesterday. Dib was starting to lose focus and suddenly his reasoning behind stalking the invader became somewhat clouded in his mind.

He could emphatically pursue the alien, thwarting his demented plans left and right. He wanted to stop Zim! He wanted to fight Zim! He wanted to uncover and expose Zim! But with no evil plan to foil, all he found himself left with was 'wanting Zim.'

The gravity of that idea hadn't even begun to weigh against the boy's shoulders when his peripheral caught a flash of light in the sky. Turning his attention upwards, he stood. The wind began to whip, causing his coat to billow around him. What ever it was, it was landing quickly, and aiming right for Zim's lawn. Dust and debris began to fly as the high-pitched squealing of the rockets slowed and lowered as the unidentified flying object completed it's descent.

A crate. What ever was inside, it was housed within a metal cube with rockets attached to the side. Certainly not a space-vehicle. More like… packaging. With the expression of a 6 year old on Christmas morning, Dib walked over to the box. It was incredibly hot but it was cooling quickly. A mischievous glint flickered in his eye. Zim would be coming to retrieve this package. The man did a skip/hop/jog over the short distance to Zim's door. He pressed himself as flat as he could against the wall beside the entry-way. Vindication.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Legal jargon:**_

_**Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators**_

_**Author's note:**_

_**This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.**_

_**------**_

_**Consumed: Always**_

_-----_

_**Chapter 3:**_

_An alert sounded deep within the bowels of Zim's base. Dark, twisted tubes and tunnels wound this way and that way. They'd end in, or pass through, bulbous vacuole-like rooms. Zim was in his computer lab. The majority of one curved wall was taken up by a massive monitor resting over hundreds of tubes feeding energy into the machine. A control panel swept from underneath the screen following the same semi-circular shape of the wall, but angled toward the user for efficient access. _

_Zim's antennae lifted up as he turned toward the sound. The deep voice of the computer resonated from everywhere. _

"_Warning!" it started ominously and authoritatively. Zim felt his skin prickle at the statement. "A package has arrived." The tense alien let his shoulders slump in frustrated relief. He removed a set of goggles from his crimson eyes. _

"_Excellent." he smirked. Moving away from the console he was working at, he stood straight and tall, extending a slender arm high into the air. "Computer!" he shouted grandly. "Take me to the house."_

_An oval shape formed on the floor around his black-booted feet. It separated and became a sort of hovering elevator. It drifted smoothly upwards - spaces in the ceiling opened up to allow passage. _

_Still in his triumphant pose, Zim was lifted through the floor of his "living room" right in front of the tv. His robot side-kick was dressed in his green dog disguise, sitting on the sofa, staring unwaveringly forward as if he could see the television through the alien's body. _

"_GIR, the package has arrived. Make yourself useful and go prepare my lab!" _

_Eyes temporarily flashing red, GIR stood and saluted stiffly. "Yes, my master!" Tiny blue flames came out from the bottoms of his nubby feet and he rocketed away._

_Eyes tightly closed, Zim wore a dumb, wide grin on his face. He marched to the door happily. Certainly these new chemicals would be the key to finally conquering this filthy dust-ball of a planet. He already knew how to combine them and what to do with them. It was just a matter of titrating the amounts for the desired intensity of effect. Too bad he didn't have a guinea pig to test it out on. Oh well. He was sure he could find some homeless bum in the city. He'd experiment on some random filthy worm-pig then dispose of them when he was satisfied with the results. _

_Adjusting his ink-black wig and violet, humanoid contact lenses, he pulled open his front door. Upon seeing the crate he squeed a small sound of joy, drawing his arms up and shaking them with barely-contained excitement. He hopped gracefully through the portal and onto the cement walk. His 3-fingered hands extended wantingly toward the box as he moved slowly toward it._

"_Surprise!" Dib exclaimed in a hushed tone, grabbing the alien firmly, one arm over his chest and arms, the other gripping his forehead, pulling back in a holding position. Zim grimaced, completely caught off guard. He sneered, serrated teeth bared as he growled with fury. _

_Dib tried to wrestle him to the ground but Zim hooked a thin ankle around the other's, firming his own position and causing Dib to lose footing. With a strength that seemed disproportional to his small frame, Zim twisted within Dib's grasp, placing them face-to-face. Zim grinned, connecting a solid blow to his opponent's side, just under the ribs. _

_Dib stumbled back, releasing his victim and clutching his side. He recovered quickly, dashing forward in a flash and barreled into the slightly smaller male, linebacker style. Zim was forced against the package, his PAK dinging hard against the metal. The sensation was jarring but the heavy object gave him something to push against. He braced one foot on the side and used it to push himself forward; thus, putting Dib at the receiving end and forcing him to completely lose balance. _

_The human fell backwards, landing hard on the concrete. The back of his head hit the solid surface, dazing him just enough. Zim pinned him, looming over him. "Well, hello there, guinea pig." he smirked before allowing a hoarse, throaty chuckle to erupt from within. Dib focused on the false, violet irises, his already unclear thoughts tinged with worry as he saw Zim draw his head back before smashing their foreheads together. Everything went black. _

_-----_

_Woozy, Dib cracked his eyes slightly open. The lighting wasn't very good, wherever he was. Thankfully, he still had his glasses and they were perfectly intact. He was laying flat on his back but he could tell he wasn't at home. His senses began returning to him and he remembered the fight. He turned his head cautiously to the side. A green-suited GIR stood on a metal table near the one on which Dib was placed. The creature maintained a blank, trillion-mile stare as he absently polished what looked like a long-barreled gun._

_Dib gasped slightly, turning his head the other way, looking for some sign of the extra-terrestrial. He pulled at his arms, tensing his shoulders, discovering he was strapped at the ankles, wrists, and waist. He leaned up as far as he could. Across the room he could see the alien's silhouette outlined by the glow of a small monitor. He could hear the soft tickety-taps of a keyboard before he stopped and picked up a beaker and began stirring the contents. The glass made a tinging sound as the stirrer hit the sides. _

_Zim stood, still hunched over, deeply absorbed in his work. He turned and began walking to the table where his guinea pig was strapped. His attention was caught by Dib's intent gaze. Momentarily surprised, his entirely innocent and unburdened expression melted away quickly, replaced by a wicked sneer. He was sans-disguise, so the edges of his large, round, red eyes caught the light from behind him and glistened wetly. _

"_Ah. The Dib-human is awake." he smirked, moving closer, still stirring the greenish-blue concoction. He kicked a lever on the floor at the base of the examining table and the whole surface moved upwards, putting Dib in an upright position. The alien had to look up at the man, but he moved dangerously closer anyway. "I'm glad." he continued. "You're just in time to help me with my newest plot to destroy your world!" he chortled. _

"_Zim." Dib hissed accusingly. He tried to force himself forward, tendons in his neck straining. _

_Zim took the glass stirrer out of the muck in the beaker. The hard ball at the end was thoroughly coated. Zim tapped it against Dib's forehead, the light assault was painful against the bruised flesh. A smattering of the mud-like substance remained. Zim put the stirrer back and removed it again with another tap, then smeared the chemical compound around on Dib's forehead until it was thoroughly slathered. _

_Zim took out what looked like a white bandage, about 3 inches wide and about 2 inches long. One side of it was obviously smeared with something viscous and blue. _

"_What's all that?" Dib asked with genuine concern. The alien smiled confidently at his prisoner. _

"_This is an experimental chemical compound that will be the key to over-throwing your society." the alien lowered his head, looking up from under his brow-line glaring devilishly. "This mixture…" he rubbed his gloved thumb just under Dib's hair-line, taking a streak of the mud with it. Dib trembled at the contact, feeling absolutely helpless. "… channels a creature's thoughts. It allows their intentions to be picked up." Zim presented the little bandage. "This substance," he rubbed his thumb over the blue gel, "is what allows those intentions to be picked up. But here's where you come in." He poked Dib's chest with a sharp clawed finger. "I need to experiment with it. I know approximately what it does, but I don't know exactly_ what the effects will be."

Zim readied the white swatch over his own forehead. Before pressing it to his skin he confided, "I'm kind of thinking one of two things could happen. Most desirably, I could read people's intentions and use that knowledge to conquer them all, able to anticipate every move before they made it. Or, less so, yet still seemingly effective, everyone would experience everyone else's emotions at all times and the whole world would PMS on each other and destroy each other, leaving only me in the aftermath to rule!" He laughed maniacally for a moment. Dib stared, eyes narrowed as he focused intently on the smaller male before him. "Well, here goes." Zim said, pressing the second chemical agent to his head.

He stood close, making sure the connection was made. He wanted to see that it worked first. He'd test the range later. He could feel it, sense it. He was experiencing what Dib was feeling. It was strange. He could feel his own emotions and Dib's at the same time within his body. But they were separate and he could distinguish between them. The sensation was nothing less than "trippy." He allowed his facial features to conform to Dib's emotional state. Hatred, fear, intensity, panic, obsession. He sifted through them as if he were zipping helter-skelter through a forest. Zim's eyes drifted closed. He placed his hands on Dib's chest, increasing the contact, increasing the intensity. His shoulders rose and fell as his deep breaths grew faster. He could feel Dib's chest doing the same. They were breathing in sync with one another and he was feeling light-headed. He pulled himself higher and pressed their foreheads together. The chemicals' proximity to one another intensified the sensation. Zim moved one hand to the back of Dib's neck, pulling him further down for easy access. An explosion of sensation filled Zim's mind and his skin prickled. He opened his mouth slightly, a desperate moan escaped his lips and he gripped Dib's shirt tightly with his left hand and the collar of the coat with his right.

Dib moaned also. His emotional state was heightened and he was feeling deeply buried things he had never admitted having, even to himself. Was this the culmination of 11 years of intense obsession? Was it actually the alien in front of him that he wanted and not the fight? Zim's breath was warm and moist and inviting and he moved his jaw forward without thinking. He captured Zim's top lip between his own and sucked a tiny kiss with an unconscious, needy "mmm" sound.

Zim started to return the favor, running his hand up the back of the human's head to tangle his fingers in his hair. But his eyes shot open with realization. He pulled back and ripped the patch from his own head. He stood dumbly for a long moment, panting, trying to hold himself up.

"What was…" he started to say but suddenly found himself. His eyes narrowed and he back-handed the boy across the face with a furious grunt. Dib's eyes were already wide and it seemed they couldn't have gotten wider until the rough return to his senses.

"Get me outta here!" He screamed, struggling and thrashing against his restraints before slumping, tears streaming down his face. Zim turned away from the scene, still trying to understand. He rubbed his hand over his own head as if he were straitening his antennae that were actually laying flat against his scalp.

"Goodnight, Dib." Zim remarked venomously, the corners of his mouth dropped in a sharp frown. With tantrum-like ferocity, Zim hurled the glass beaker at Dib's head, shattering on impact and knocking the boy out for the second time that night.

-----

Dib awoke, he didn't know how much later, leaning against the door of his apartment. Shards of glass still imbedded in his temple, blood and the chemicals dried on his face, he hurriedly unlocked his door and ducked inside. It was going to take a lot of willpower not to just kill himself right then.


	4. Chapter 4

**Legal jargon:**

**Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators**

**Author's note:**

**This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.**

**------**

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 4:**

Dib huddled in a fetal position in his bathtub. The water was still warm and clear. He hadn't bothered to scrub the mess off his skin. He just lie there on his side, half of his face submerged in the water. How easy it would be to just slide down under the surface. How welcome seemed the invitingly warm embrace of the water and the inevitable nothingness that would follow.

His bottle of Alprazolam sat unopened, beckoning to him from the bathroom counter. He groaned and turned his head down, blowing bubbles in a frustrated gesture.

He didn't want to die - not really anyway. But right now he felt like it would be the easiest thing. No. Death was too permanent. It wouldn't give him the chance to fix anything… that is, if it could be fixed at all.

So what was the big deal, eh? It's not like he and Zim hadn't battled ferociously since the day they first met. It's not like he hadn't been knocked out by the alien before! He had come home bloodied, battered, and bruised so many times, he couldn't even begin to count. But this - This was so much more raw. This had been emotional, and nothing hurts worse than a swift blow to one's ego.

He turned his head to breathe. The water was cooling but he could still feel the warm dripping of water down his cheek. He stuck his tongue out to catch the salty liquid. With a huff and a sigh, he sat up, rubbed his face rapidly to clean the remaining muck away, and shook the water from his hair. He knew he had to get up. He had to wash up, dry off, get dressed, and go on living.

Easier said than done.

-----

Zim sat in his lab, once more stirring a concoction comprised of a fizzy, orange-ish solution and a blue, goopy one. Little white bubbles made their way through the gloppy sludge up to rest on the surface with a sizzling sound. Satisfied with the thoroughness of his mixing, the alien experimenter stood and walked wordlessly to his tiny, silver robot. GIR's legs were splayed before him as he sat on the very examining table Dib had occupied the night before. The tiny mechanical creature stuck his angular tongue out merrily as he held a mental conversation with a toy pig. He would giggle now and again, but, rarely enough, he was quiet.

Zim's eyes were narrowed in concentration and maybe a little frustration. He still couldn't wrap his mind around what happened all those hours before. He didn't want to try. He would NOT be using the Dib for his experiments any longer. He took the glass stirrer out of the beaker of sludge and tapped it hard against GIR's forehead. A dull metal clank sounded briefly, then the irritating sound to follow of glass on metal scratching against one another. But the deed was done and GIR now looked like he had been rolling around in the mud with his tiny piggy. Zim readied another patch with another "dose" of blue, goopy gel on it. He pressed it to his own face and placed his forehead to GIR's metal one.

His eyes were closed. He was focusing. His expression started to change. His brow hardened, his jaw clenched, he began to grimace. His shoulders rose before he pushed himself back from his robot.

"FAILURE!" he bellowed to himself. "This stupid concoction obviously only works on biological, living entities! I must have a living subject to test on!"

GIR beamed a wide, goofy grin to his master. "You could always use a hobo, like you said!!"

Zim stopped and turned his head to look over his shoulder at GIR. He actually considered it for a moment but the thought repulsed him.

"Gah!!" he grunted. "I wouldn't want to chance a repeat of yesterday's events with some filthy hobo, GIR! Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it!" Zim clutched his stomach and let his tongue loll from his mouth in a sickly fashion.

"So…" GIR began with innocent confusion, "you wanna do that with your friend, instead?"

Zim was momentarily taken aback by the question. He paused a half second, letting GIR's words sink in so he could properly sift through them and find what was wrong with such a concept and formulate an appropriate and intelligent response.

"Uh, no!" he ended up with.

"Then you wanna do it with a hobo." GIR responded, trying to make sense of the whole thing.

"No!!"

"Then you don't want to do it at all?"

"I don't want to do 'that'!!" Zim fumed. "I want to do the experiment, but I don't want a recurrence of last night's …" he stopped mid-sentence, unsure what word he could even begin to describe the events with. He was growling and grunting and stomping around exaggeratedly.

"Then you want to do it with a rich person?" GIR continued, unphased.

Zim shot a wide-eyed glare at his side-kick who didn't seem to care or notice at all. He just sat there with a squee-face, tongue sticking out of the corner of his wide smile and eyes squinted shut.

Ruby-red eyes just stared at the robot, still sporting an angered expression. They stayed like that, motionless, maintaining the same telling features until Zim slumped. Heaving an exasperated breath he groaned, "Just go get the Dib."

-----

The water was cold and murky. Dib had washed his hair, cleansed his body, and rinsed off in the bath-water. He had stood to get out but couldn't bring himself to lift a foot over the edge of the tub. His chest hurt. His ego hurt. He had just sat back down. And that's where he stayed until a sound in his living room caused him to sit up and take notice.

His skin was slippery, shiny, and wet. His fingertips and toes were wrinkled - pruney. His hair laid slicked back and his glasses were somewhere in his room, he assumed. He was so accustomed to the temperature of the hours-old water, he didn't even have goosebumps, though his flesh was icy to the touch.

And that is how GIR found him.

It started with a little noise - a scuffling in the other room. Dib had heard it and perked at the sound. He didn't think much about it, but when a shadow fell under the door and he could hear the sound of metal on metal, the door-knob turning, Dib stood. He grabbed a fluffy, dark green towel from a rack near the bath and wrapped it around himself hastily. Just in time, too. The door swung open and a now red-eyed soldier stood ominously in the doorway, a tiny, floating, purple moose hovered just to the robot's left.

Dig gaped at the scene. He knew the robot all too well, but he really wasn't prepared to deal with him at this moment.

"Master wants the human for further testing!" GIR shouted, his robotic voice surprisingly authoritative!

"Can't I get dressed first?!" Dib implored, not expecting to get his way.

"Hmm. I suppose." GIR went back to his gentle, dopey self, eyes faded quickly back to their light turquoise color. Mini-moose squeaked happily.

He stopped for a moment, totally not expecting to be allowed the time to put on clothes. He hopped out of the tub and dried off, rushing to his room. It seemed as if the human was happy enough to comply, but he wasn't about to go back to Zim's lab for more tests. He couldn't bear it! If they wanted him, they'd have to take him fighting tooth and nail!


	5. Chapter 5

**Legal jargon:**

**Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators**

**Author's note:**

**This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.**

**------**

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 5:**

Dib threw on his clothes quickly before rummaging under his bed for a weapon of some kind. A baseball bat would have been perfect if he played any kind of sports at all. Nothing! No empty bottles, no bats or rackets! No extra shoes or soccer balls or anything! They were times like now that Dib regretted living such a conservative existence.

"Squeak!" Dib heard Mini-Moose ram into his door. He knew that when GIR tried, he'd get right through. He glanced desperately at his bed, spotting the wooden bedpost. He didn't give himself time to rethink or regret his decision. In a single hop, he reached the potential bludgeoning instrument and broke it free from the bed frame. He debated trying to flee through the window or making a stand right there. He wasn't given the choice.

The tiny robot exhibited his superior strength and ripped the door from the hinges. Dib raised the club over his head, releasing a feral roar. GIR did the same, eyes red once again.

"Dib-human!" GIR growled, launching the flat projectile at his victim. In a panic, Dib moved the bed post to strike the door but the force was too great and the club splintered and cracked. The human was knocked backward but avoided a direct blow. GIR ran on stubby legs at the young man, grabbing his ankles and jerking Dib to him.

"Master's orders!"

Dib was secretly amazed by the robot, pausing his thrashing momentarily - much to his detriment. Mini-moose zipped over, dragging a net that was laced with a strong, sticky agent. Dib tried struggling again, wriggling his shoulders and only serving to get more stuck.

GIR smiled widely, eyes turning blue again. "Night night, friend!" and with a good-natured wave, the robot sprayed a cloud of something in Dib's face. He started to feel impossibly comfortable. As his eyes slid closed he could only manage to breathe one word of protest.

"Fuck."

-----

Dib's eyes fluttered open to a darkened lab. This was happening much too often here lately. Immediately Zim stalked up with a wide frown on his face.

"Listen here, stink-child!" Zim commanded, jabbing a finger into Dib's chest. "We're going to try this again and THIS TIME I want you to keep your filthy, human emotions in check!" Dib opened his mouth to attempt some verbal defense but couldn't think of anything he could offer. He simply closed his mouth with an audible chomp.

Zim applied the substances again and crossed his arms impatiently. "Well," he began, "feel something."

Dib was at a loss. "What? I'm not going to actively participate in your abusive experiments!"

"Ah, feeling upset, are we?" Zim smirked, breaking through his previous annoyed grimace.

"What? No! I refuse to help you in any way!"

"Oh yes you will! I can sense you already. Feeling flustered? Aggravated? That's what I like to hear." Zim rubbed his hands together. His human captive was giving him exactly what he needed. Dib remembered his calming-down techniques for his anxiety. He tried to apply the same principle to this situation.

Dib closed his eyes and started breathing deeply, slowly. He focused on his breathing. He focused on the sound of his breath and the steady movement of his chest expanding to take in air. He tried to think of pleasant things, such as not being strapped to a surface, upright, facing a demented alien invader!

Zim silently watched the boy in what ever it was he was doing. "Are you attempting to ignore Zim?" he asked with very mild annoyance. He was starting to feel Dib's calmness. It was kind of peaceful. For a long while Zim stood looking at the human who half stood, half hung from the restraints at his wrists, ankles, and waist. His eyes were closed and his breathing even. The alien began to wonder if he'd fallen asleep! He had to admit, Dib's emotional state was rather soothing; however, nothing was getting accomplished.

"Human." Zim ventured evenly He felt a twinge. "Dib-thing, I order you to start feeling things again!" he fumed at the human's continued lack of attention. "I want you to feel for Zim!" He said in a raised voice, inches from Dib's face. What was that? There was something, a feeling! It was there and gone. Could it have been shock? Embarrassment? What ever it was, it was slightly uncomfortable but not entirely negative.

"Filthy human! I will not tolerate your avoidance! Open your sub-functioning eyes and look at Zim!" The alien growled. Aggravation, annoyance, then more deep breathing and calm. Zim eyed his prisoner for a moment, seeing he was getting nowhere fast. The alien stepped closer, closer, uncomfortably close. His face was maybe an inch away from the human's. He examined him carefully. Dib's blank stoicism faltered. A twitch of his cheeks, his eyes squinting shut harder, a sudden intake of air. Zim moved his head around like a cat inspecting an unknown object.

Dib hadn't realized he had been holding his breath. He exhaled sharply, eyes still closed, trying to focus on anything but the close proximity to his obsession. Zim could feel it, though. He felt the rising of this strange aura but he could not be sure what it was. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar, it just didn't make sense. Zim tried to sort through his own confusion. He didn't know what to make of Dib's reaction to him. The chemicals must be provoking this sensation because he knew it could not have originated from the Dib.

"Tell me what you are thinking, dirt-child. Explain to me what you're feeling! What do you think of Zim?" The alien's tone increased, becoming demanding but not abusive. Dib just grimaced, keeping his eyes squeezed shut, his head down, and trying like Hell to think of something other than Zim!

"Tell me!" Zim coerced. "Tell me." He reached a hand out, moving it behind the boy's head, grabbing a fist-full of hair and squeezing. Dib gasped. It hurt a little, but not much. Zim had so much hair in his grip, pulling on all of it equally at the roots. The alien's thin forearm rested across the human's face. Dib fought the urge to nuzzle against it.

Zim felt his own face grow hot as he clung to the boy's hair. "Tell Zim what you are thinking. Tell me what you think of me! Why am I feeling like this? Why are you having these emotions?" Zim squeezed harder on the hair, eliciting a slight, unintentional moan from his victim. The alien's breath was hot and humid on Dib's face, not an unpleasant sensation. He opened his mouth to answer but couldn't bring himself to form the words. He just kept his eyes closed, feeling completely exposed and thoroughly embarrassed.

"Hmm?" Zim prodded, tugging again at the boys hair, earning another gasp and moan for his troubles. He could feel the tension rising within him. His own face felt flushed. His breathing was matching the human's again. His eyes were becoming glassy, felt hot, and he didn't know why, but he felt like pushing this further. He pressed his forehead to Dib's, gently forcing it level with his own. Dib opened his eyes at that point, looking wantingly into Zim's.

"Why am I feeling this from you?" the alien whispered hotly, lips almost brushing the other's. Dib whimpered, feeling totally dominated. "Hmm? Tell me!" the demand was spoken so lustfully, Dib couldn't help but comply. He opened his mouth again, slightly stuttering before he even formed the first word.

"I…" He nearly choked on the syllable.

"Mmmhmm." Zim breathed.

"You…"

"Tell me."

"You kind of…"

"Yes?" Zim tugged again on the boy's hair.

"Uh," Dib whimpered again, "you kind of… maybe, turn me on a little bit." Dib closed his eyes turned his face away, humiliated. He didn't know why he had been possessed to verbalize that revelation.

Zim, amazingly enough, did not feel surprised or shocked. It had been a gradual building to the confession and he took it in stride. His emotional state was matching Dib's, so that his thoughts were on nothing else but participating in this sick little game he had accidentally set himself up in. "Just a little?" Zim pressed, forcing Dib to face him, using his grip on the boy's hair as a sort of handle.

Nervous, panting, Dib locked eyes with Zim once more. "Maybe a lot?"

Zim smirked, moving his hands to the human's cheeks and pulling him into a heady, open-mouthed kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

Author's Extra Warning of Doom!!!!

This chapter gets a little bit, um… hotter (for lack of a better adjective.) So please be aware of that when reading this chapter!

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 6:**

Desire. Complete, unadulterated fulfillment. That's what Dib felt. He murmured tiny noises of ecstasy into Zim's mouth as their tongues wrapped around each other. His nervousness was surfacing. He could feel the fullness in his chest of an impending panic attack, kept at bay only by Dib's refusal to acknowledge his own actions. If he stayed like this, stayed in the moment and tried not to think about it, he would be fine. It isn't every day that a deep-seated fantasy comes to life.

He had to admit to himself, as he ran his tongue over the alien's teeth, that he had never realized before that this was all he wanted, but he could feel it now. His childish fervor and determination, his desire to catch the alien… Now his life-time of obsession blossomed into a happy accident. But what came first? Did he always desire Zim in this way or was this merely the form his fixation chose to manifest itself in?

He didn't want to think about it anymore. He didn't want to think about anything. All he cared about was that at that second, he felt right. In this moment, lashed to an upright examining table, he felt freer than he ever felt in his life.

Zim's clawed hands roved over the human's body, over the soft fabric of his shirt, around the collar, up into his pitch-colored hair. He couldn't make his hands stop exploring. He wanted to touch the boy all over at the same time. He wanted full, complete contact. This robust desire was satisfying to him in a way nothing had ever been, and yet, he felt as if he still did not have enough. Heavy breaths and teasing tongue, Zim sucked and nipped and licked and teased over the human's mouth, jaw, neck, and collar.

Breathing hard and loudly, Zim spoke through needy kisses. "What would you do…" he began, "if I untied you? What would you do if I let you go?" Before Dib could answer, Zim captured his prisoner's mouth again, his snake-like tongue tickling Dib's palate. The sensation was erotic to say the least. "Would you run away from Zim or would you fight me?" He asked the question as if those were the only two options that existed. Fight or flight? Without waiting for the response, he deftly undid the heavy straps starting at the ankles, moving up to the waist, lingering there a moment before undoing both wrists at the same time.

Released, Dib came right off the surface he had been strapped to for an hour. He lunged forward at the alien who did not stop, only took a cautionary step back. Dib had him in his grasp in less than half a second, his own hands roaming possessively over the slim, lithe body of the uniformed invader.

"I want you." Dib cooed huskily near the alien's antenna. Zim found himself arching back under the aggressive posture of his new lover. The alien did not approve of being anything other than dominant but it felt so good, so right - he just went with it, tilting his head back to give the human access to the sensitive skin on his neck. Dib moved to that spot like a magnet, sucking on the soft, exposed flesh above Zim's uniform collar. The alien mewed and moaned, trying to take in deep, even breaths but his breathing only came in the form of gasps.

Dib's hands found the bottom of the alien's shirt and pushed their way underneath. He was now rubbing Zim's bare back. The feeling was intoxicating to both. Zim's skin was so soft and so smooth. He had never realized how delicate the powerful Irken was.

Dib moved the both of them back until Zim was leaning back against a computer console. The man pulled away a moment, looking into the alien's face. He crossed his arms over the front of his shirt, pulling up and over, discarding the article on the floor. His hair was mussed slightly, but it seemed only fitting given the situation. He took a moment more to look into Zim's eyes. The alien's body was heaving lustily as he looked back up at the human looming over him. Zim reached his gloved hands up to the boy's face, holding his cheeks gently before delving a thumb into Dib's mouth. Dib sucked obediently on the digit and Zim began sliding it fluidly in and out. Dib took Zim's hand by the wrist, controlling it as he opened his mouth wide, running his tongue up the fingers exaggeratedly, getting to the tip before sucking his way down to the base of each member.

Zim shivered at the suggestive act. He returned the favor with a coy smirk, letting his tentacle-like tongue wrap prehensilly around Dib's own finger. Zim's actions caused Dib to unconsciously suck harder, deeper, and longer until he finally freed the alien's hand from his grasp. He greedily attacked Zim's mouth again, biting the alien's bottom lip and pressing his body firmly against the other's.

The alien invader decided to take control, clutching tightly to the boy, flipping them over seamlessly so that he was above the human whose back was now against the computer console. He took a moment also to look his play-thing over, nodding slightly as if saying 'I approve.' When his gaze dropped below the belt and he noticed a new attribute he had never seen on the human before, he simply nodded again. "Ah. So you have one too." He commented ever so casually.

If Dib had not been blushing already, his face would have lit up like a burning ember. But as it was, the new blush was hidden with the pre-existing activity-induced color. Possibilities whirled in his mind at that statement and a flicker of hope that perhaps they wouldn't be so incompatible after all. His imagination started going wild. Zim put his hands above Dib's shoulders, resting on the surface itself. He dropped his head low near the human's face. He could see and feel the want radiating from him. Little noises, murmurs of desire, non-verbal pleas to continue, but the boy dared not initiate.

"It seems as if I've inadvertently created an aphrodisiac." Zim's voice was low and deep and full of desire, but his expression had Dib a little concerned. His face showed signs of searching - disquieted and confused. "Why?" Zim asked again, as if there had not been a long interval of lasciviousness since the initial questioning session. Dib started to shake his head 'no.' He could sense where this was going and it gripped him with fear. "We can't be doing this. This isn't happening!" Realization was starting to wear through Zim's clouded thoughts and his embarrassment seemed to come on and cover him all at once. He pushed himself back away from the human, unsure what to do with himself or his captive.

Dib pushed himself upright, starting to reach out to the alien but fearful of getting too close. No matter, anyway, as Zim stepped back, putting a safe amount of distance between them both. Zim vaguely felt Dib's anxiety, his heart-break, but he could not fathom what he was experiencing and his mind was too weary to try.

"This did not happen, Dib-stink!" Zim growled, trying to wipe off the chemical substance from his forehead, but it had already worn mostly away. Dib did the same, wiping his hand over his forehead, but not much of the substance remained anyway. His skin was sweaty and hot to the touch but he still felt the clammy hands of anxiousness grasping at him.

"Please, no." Dib managed. He felt so desperate, he wanted to do anything to get that other feeling back. The acceptance, the desire, the freedom, it was a drug to him and he didn't know what he would do without it. He didn't know what he would do without Zim. Now that he'd had a taste, he had to pose the question to himself, which would have been better? To have experienced Zim like that, even temporarily or to have never had him at all?

"Zim will not dispose of you, you filthy test-subject. Be happy about that. But your usefulness has expired and I demand you leave my lab and my base at once!" The Irken pointed a clawed finger toward the exit. Dib could see the black glove still glistened with the moisture from his mouth. He longed for it anew, but he was defeated. Suddenly he felt exposed again. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on as he walked, dazed, to the elevator door.

Safely within the confines of the cylindrical, ascending vault, Dib collapsed to the floor. His chest heaved - dry sobs and anguished cries bounced off the walls of the enclosed space, deafening and encompassing, but not cathartic. He wondered if he would ever feel normal again. He wondered how he would move on from this.

It was clear - well, as clear as he could tell - that the only course of action was to take steps never to see Zim again. He could not go through another experience like this one or the last one. It is said that "absence makes the heart grow-fonder," but now he was counting on the adage that "time heals all wounds." So perhaps time and absence would be forgiving and just let him give up in peace.


	7. Chapter 7

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 7:**

It was dark and cold in Zim's lab. The monitors were off, the machines were off. The whole, damn lab was off. And in the shrouding blackness, in the deafening silence, Zim sat dazed, staring into nothingness - slowly, robotically scrubbing his forehead with a piece of Cleansing Chalk. The piece was almost worn down to nothing. The alien had lost count of how many pieces of Cleansing Chalk he'd gone through, and in the complete lightlessness of the room, Zim couldn't even see the floor to count the discarded packages. He could have gone through one or six or one hundred! But no matter how many he had used or how many he could use, he could not wash the emotions away.

Somewhere outside the room the sound of GIR's exuberant wails could be heard in the distance. A momentary fantasy popped into Zim's mind of the little robot bringing the Dib back. The alien pictured himself acting annoyed but begrudgingly beginning the experiments anew. The daydream was brief and once it was gone, he didn't attempt to think of it again. He didn't want to admit to himself the thought had even come to him in the first place.

But he was the only one in the lab and there was no one to hide his mood from and a grim persona could not mask his feelings from himself. He grunted and closed his eyes, feeling awfully weary all of a sudden. He scooted himself easily from his chair and down onto the hard, chilly floor and laid down.

-----

Dib lay curled up on his bed, fully dressed, tangled in his bed sheets. He didn't mind. He bundled up tightly like a chrysalis, feeling at least a moderate amount of security and safety in the womb-like enclosure. He needed all the comfort he could get right now.

The phone rang. Like a psychic, he already knew who was on the other end of the line. His boss. This whole ordeal caused him to miss a day of work and he hadn't bothered to call or come in after he returned from the alien's lab. Why bother? It's not like "Alien Abduction" is a viable excuse one could use when explaining away an absence from work. Dib groaned. The ceaseless ringing of the phone became a background noise. It just continued and continued and continued. The thought came to him that his boss certainly was a persistent person. He could practically see his face on the other end of the phone, all red and vein-y, probably yelling into the still-ringing receiver.

Dib closed his eyes and groaned. Not going in to work and losing his job sounded preferable to getting yelled at. However, laying in bed with nothing to do gave him excessive time to think and he didn't really want to do that either. The phone stopped ringing and the new silence caused his ears to hum. He sat up, like a fat little caterpillar in his cocoon made of sheets, and leaned his chest against his knees. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to go and kiss-up to the boss, apologize, and work as many shifts as possible. He needed to work and work and work and never come home. He needed to absolutely lose himself in selling computers to ignorant people. He'd become a mindless computer retail zombie and he would NOT think about the horrible alien who consumed so much of his life.

Slowly, ceremoniously, Dib unwrapped himself from his entanglement and got up to make himself presentable. This was chapter one of his new life. And his new life was absolutely not going to be categorized as Sci-Fi and would definitely not be featuring aliens of any kind.

-----

Time passed - hours perhaps - before Zim decided to get up off of the cold surface. His bare cheek was thoroughly chilled but it felt refreshing in a way - a completely opposite feeling from the hot, flustered skin from before. He sat up, cross-legged, trying to decide the best course of action.

All he could think of was to drown himself in his work. That would be easy enough. Zim had always been very motivated for work! The alien felt his way blindly to his computer console and pressed a large button which caused the screen to blink awake.

"Computer! Lights on!"

The droning voice from the house grumbled a little as if it had just been awakened from a nap before complying. Zim squinted at the new, sudden brightness, hissing curses to himself for his unprepared-ness.

"Computer! Bring up the data from the recent experiment!"

A list of files dotted the screen in neat rows, each labeled in Irken text. Zim ran a clawed finger thoughtfully under a pouty lip, face frozen in an expression of deep contemplation. Without taking his gaze away from the screen, he pulled out his chair and sat down before the mammoth computer and began tickety-tapping away at the keys. He looked at charts and graphs and atomic break-downs of the molecular structure of the chemicals he had used. He murmured notes to himself. Based on all of his calculations, all of his study, the compound should NOT have acted in such a way. The chemicals should NOT have caused those emotions! In fact, it should not have CAUSED emotions at all. According to his studies, it should have only allowed Zim to feel what the Dib was feeling naturally at that moment! And it certainly should not have taken over the alien! The chemical should not have caused the human's emotions to invade into the alien! He was supposed to be able to feel Dib's emotional state separately from his own, but that was all.

He refused to admit that anything he was feeling could possibly have been his own, but the thought of the human underneath him at that time, the thought of his pleading eyes, the scared look on his face when he was about to stop… well, it hurt his heart a little. Why? Why did it feel so good to fight the human physically but it felt so bad to hurt the human emotionally?

The feeling of pressing his slim, petite frame against the other's muscular form. The image of that human removing his shirt and coming at him with pure need and desire. Couldn't that have been entirely genuine? Couldn't the thrill the Invader felt as he dominated the boy have been real? A low, quiet moan escaped his throat as he reminisced, but the soft reverberation caused him to snap back to his senses.

"No!" Zim growled. He turned his head quickly back at the box which still held the offending compounds. Up from his chair he shot and marched briskly to the gray, metallic container. His face softened and he almost caressed the tops of the vials, the glass making soft, tinkling sounds like little bells. Maybe he could get the human back. It would only be for further experimentation. Nothing more. He still had so much of the amalgamation left over - he had to use it up, after all.

So that was it. He made up his mind. The experiment needed to continue. He needed to get the genuine pig back, for the sake of conquering the planet.


	8. Chapter 8

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 8:**

Dib skittered out of the office door and closed it quickly behind him as if some tiny, toothy creature had been after his ankles. He breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly unstiffened from against the door. He took his black neck tie with the purple lines here and there and wiped his forehead. His supervisor always made him nervous but today he had been particularly under fire. He straightened his dull blue, button-up work shirt and dusted his black slacks and walked back out onto the sales floor. With each step he took toward the computer department and away from the office, the tiny smile that had formed on his face began to slowly widen. He was doing it! He was actually doing it! This wouldn't be so hard!

He had held his job at Appliance Planet for a little over a year. It was his longest employment ever. He had never taken it, nor any of the other jobs, seriously because as far as he was concerned, that was just a means to survive while he did what he really loved - chase down the paranormal. Well, scratch that. He hadn't focused on general paranormal in years. It was just Zim. He worked to support himself so he could spend his off-time obsessing over Zim.

The smile vanished from his face.

But no longer! Zim was out of the picture. This was a new day, this was his new life, and he was a new Dib! And in the next few days, he'd find himself a new apartment and that would assure that the stupid alien's stupid robot and stupid moose would never find him! In fact, he thought while grinning broadly again, he might even move to a different town or different state! He could take one of those supervisory positions and travel and have no life! Oh yeah. That sounded good!

An older woman in a long, green coat stood hunched over looking at monitors. Dib rubbed his hands together before strutting confidently over to the customer. His head held high, confidently, he greeted the woman, asking if she needed any help.

"Why, yes. I believe I do. You see, I'm looking for a computer…" she trailed off, leaving her request for assistance open. She was wearing a red dress. A red dress! Dib's smile disappeared again as he looked at the clashing colors of red and green. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before plastering the mirth back on his face, albeit insincerely.

"Of course I can answer any of your questions and Appliance Planet has something for all of your computer needs."

-----

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

The noise would have been irritating if Zim had been paying attention. But he had locked GIR out in his dog suit. The poor robot was whimpering and scratching to be let in. He seemed to be taking on the canine persona quite well for once. But Zim paid no attention. He locked the pesky creature out for a reason.

He stood in the living room, admiring himself in a hanging mirror that had not been there before. He adjusted his ebon wig and examined his artificial lenses with the slight pink tint and the purple irises.

"No wonder that Dib-filth felt desire for me! Even with this repulsive human-disguise on, I'm amazing!" He turned this way and that, appreciating his physique.

Normally, Zim wouldn't bother with the imitation attributes, especially now that he was no longer in Skool. But today he was going out. Earlier he had sent his robot slave off to fetch the human again but no one was home! GIR had returned to the base empty-handed except for the information that his target had gone to work. It took the alien little time to locate the human's place of employment.

Oh, he told himself it was in the name of discovery, research; however, the truth was seeded deep in his craw. He choked on it. He hated it, and so he tried to deny it, but it was there. Once the obsession, now he became the obsessed. The human was all he thought about. He wondered to himself, as he continued to gaze at himself in the mirror, if this was how Dib felt. He wondered how exactly that man saw him, if he looked any different than he did to himself. His cocky grin fell into a thoughtful frown and he put a gloved hand on the mirror for support.

He wanted him back. It hadn't been so long. A couple of days perhaps? They had been separated longer, but the way in which Zim had banished the boy, it seemed so much more permanent than the other hiatuses they'd had from one another.

"One another. Hmm." Zim chuckled softly to himself. "I watch too much Earth television." The thought came to him that such a phrase sounded slightly more intimate than he had intended. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was just as casual as any other phrase but his state of mind warped the meaning.

Stepping back from the mirror, he jiggled his arms at his side, loosening up, shaking off his sullen demeanor, re-adopting his usual arrogant air. He was on the prowl and he was going out to reclaim what was rightfully his!

-----

Dib buried his face in his arms. Bent at a right angle, his legs stiff and straight, flat-footed on the floor, his arms rested, supporting him on the counter-top. He saw the colors everywhere. Red and green. It wasn't even holiday time, yet everyone seemed to sport one or both colors somewhere on their person. He stood up, fishing in his pocket, the rough fabric making little zipping noises as he moved his hand around to find his bottle of anti-anxiety medication. His hands were shaking as he brought a pill to his mouth, swallowing it without water.

Someone coughed roughly somewhere off to the side. Dib's head darted in that direction. A child laughed victoriously upon beating a peer in a racing game demo. Dib turned his attention to the sound. A thin woman in a red shirt and black pants jerked on a leash her child was bound to. Dib's focus flew from one side of the store and back again, his amber eyesr flicking back and forth. He shuddered, nervous. He lowered his head back down and tried to coach himself.

"There's no reason to be worried. Zim isn't going to come looking for me. He sent me away, said he didn't want to see me again. He isn't going to randomly show up to find me. Just stop freaking out."

"Ahem."

A voice cleared its throat, standing right in front of Dib's counter. The man peaked above his arms, over the denim-blue material of his shirt. His glasses made a clacky sound as he slowly raised his head. Red filled his vision. Red with thin, black stripes. His gaze moved upward slowly to pink, stripped sleeves and black, gloved hands crossed over a thin yet masculine chest. He squeezed his eyes closed and choked out a sigh that sounded more like a poorly disguised sob.

"You're not really here, are you?" Dib asked with a groan. Without missing a beat and as if he hadn't even heard the human's question, Zim extended an arm theatrically, motioning around the store.

"I am a filthy Earth customer with desires of purchasing pathetic and feeble computer components." He said in voice much too loud.

Dib wanted this to be fake. He wanted to be dreaming and tried closing his eyes again but his uncomfortable position and the rough cloth of his work uniform reminded him that he was, indeed, in the store and the looming presence before him was, in fact, the alien he wanted so much to avoid. He pushed himself to a standing position, secretly thanking the powers-that-be that he had taken his anxiety meds already. This was sure to be uncomfortable.

Zim leaned closer and put a hand up to his mouth and spoke in a low voice as if he wasn't already so terribly obvious.

"Dib, you will return with me to my base." The straight-forward demand caught Dib off guard, even though it probably shouldn't have surprised him so much. He was kind of expecting it, after all. Zim saw the hesitation. "The experimentation must continue!" He added quickly, his hushed voice rough and throaty.

Still, Dib stood dumbfounded and silent. His eyes were wide and his cheeks began to tinge with pink. Zim placed his hands on the counter and pushed himself forward, infringing upon the boy's personal space as if he had some kind of claim on it himself.

"Zim still has so much chemical to be used and I am so close to titrating the correct concentration." He knew he had to convince the human to come back with him. He couldn't stand to live another moment without him. He'd do what ever it took, say what ever he needed to. But he still needed to maintain his disinterested façade, at least, for now. But that route seemed not to be working. He was clearly frightening the human. He needed to show his gentler side. He needed to coerce. He chanced some contact, placing his clawed hand over the soft, pink hand of the human. "Zim will play nice this time."

The suggestion sent the blood flowing to Dib's cheeks, among other places. He swallowed hard out of surprise, a gasp rushing past his slightly parted lips. It's what he wanted, he had to admit. Deny it as much as he did, he wanted to be used by Zim. His heated mind started flinging vivid fantasies at him and in the two seconds it took him to respond he had already pictured the alien moving his hand further up his arm and tearing him free from the poly-cotton fibrous clothing and crushing their mouths together. But he couldn't let that happen. He knew how it would end. Zim would somehow come to his senses and realize what he had been doing. And at that point Dib would be humiliated and/or injured and sent away.

The thought of the inevitable progress of events almost offended him.

"Are you insane?" Emboldened, Dib tried to stand up for himself. "I'm not going back to your base! I don't even want to see you, Zim!"

The sentiment obviously caught the alien off guard. He was certain that the Dib-human would come rushing back to him with open arms, so when that turned out not to be the case, he was left a little speechless. He took his hand back, holding it close to his chest as if he'd been bitten, staring wide-eyed at the irritated man in front of him.

"You can't possibly believe that I would willingly go back to that kind of abuse! So I guess that's it. You've won, Zim! You've won because I don't care what you do anymore. I'm done chasing you, I'm done fighting you. I'm done!"

"But, but, the chemical!" Zim was stunned. "I thought you wanted…"

"Wanted what? You? Zim, you completely humiliated me. You dove deep into my well of emotions and found out something about me so secret, I didn't even know it myself. But now we both know and you used it against me - twice! Well you can't use it against me anymore. Because no matter what I might have felt, I'm getting rid of it. I obsessed over you for 11 years and now I'm done! I want a 100% alien-free existence." Dib's tone had elevated. A few customers and coworkers glanced over to the display but the pair were too involved in each other to notice the wandering eyes of a few bystanders.

Aghast, Zim felt he had to regain some control over the situation. He quickly shot his hand out like a black blur, grasping the other's shirt and tie, roughly drawing him close. "You don't tell Zim when you're done. Zim tells you when Zim is done." and with that audacious and manly display, Zim mashed his mouth against Dib's, painfully and forcefully. The human joined in kind, both starting to explore each other's lips with small, nipping motions.

Under closed lids, Dib's eyes rolled back in his head as he allowed himself to enjoy the moment, the feeling, the need. He could feel Zim's hand move from it's position gripping his now crinkled shirt front, up his chest, over his shoulder, to rest possessively around the back of his neck.

By now the whole department had stopped their browsing and turned their attention to the almost lewd display at the counter. The greenish skinned one pushed forward over the glass display top, making throaty, hungry noises. The fair complexioned one made his own murmurs - lusty, greedy whimpers.

"Ahem."

Another alpha-male in Dib's sphere of existence stood flushed and angry behind the blue-shirted salesman. Dib's eyes popped open suddenly, jerking back from the alien as if he were on fire. He didn't even turn to look at his supervisor. He could practically feel the heat radiating from the enraged man. He kept his eyes squarely on the astonished Invader in front of him. Dib's posture was stiff and straight as if he were preparing for some physical attack from his boss.

"Dib! You're fired!" the heavy-set, appliance retail overlord growled, pointing a meaty finger to the door.

Dib still did not turn his attention to the man. He just gathered his coat from below the counter and walked away, still rigid. Zim walked beside him, a slightly concerned look on his face before his usual attitude came back.

"There. Now you're not at work. You can come back to my base with me."

Only after they stepped out of the sliding glass doors and onto the dirty, gray side-walk bordering the parking lot did Dib turn to face the Irken beside him.

"That did not just happen." Dib insisted angrily, pointing firmly back in the direction of the store. "I refuse to believe that I let myself do that in the middle of a crowded store - my job, no less! I got humiliated again, thank you very much, AND I got fired to boot. Thank you, Zim, but I will NOT be returning to your base with you. I really, really do not want to see you again and I really, really do not want you to come looking for me. Because of you, I wasted years and years of my life and now, as an adult, I've lost my job and my dignity." Dib began hastily pulling on his black trench coat, tugging at his sleeves roughly. He undid his tie with one hand, letting it hang loose around his neck.

Zim watched, feeling less confident and maybe a little broken-hearted. Was he being rejected? He noticed Dib's glasses resting slightly lop-sided on the human's nose. Gently, the alien raised a hand to fix them. Dib allowed the gesture but pushed him away when he was finished.

"Don't, Zim. Just don't." He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away. Zim helplessly watched him go.


	9. Chapter 9

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 9:**

Zim trudged back to his base. Well, that was the mental image Dib had as he, himself trudged on as well. His shoulders were raised stiffly in a feeble effort to block the icy wind. The autumn brought a change in weather, a change in the color of the leaves. Change. Autumn was about change. But not the good kind of change. Not the life-bringing, soul-freeing change of spring. The fall brought the promise of the upcoming season of death. Gray skies, short days, cold winds, and barren trees. Dib's mood matched the climate.

He had left Appliance Planet upon his termination much too early to catch his car-pool so he walked. But in all honesty, he wasn't actually GOING anywhere. He didn't feel like going home. If he went home he'd probably contemplate drowning himself in the bath again. If he went home he'd have to see his broken door and broken bedpost and he'd be reminded of that day. He'd see the boxes of files, the testament to years of tracking a particular extra terrestrial. He didn't need that kind of reminder. He didn't need that in his life. He just kept walking. He walked right past the road that led to the cul de sac, the end of which Zim's house sat crammed in a once empty lot. He didn't even turn his head to look in that direction. He continued on. He didn't make note of the time. He felt like he had been walking forever and, concurrently, felt like no time had passed at all. He walked past his apartment complex. Again, he didn't turn his head, didn't acknowledge that he was anywhere near his domicile or anything familiar. It wasn't his residence any longer. What he wanted now was to be rid of his past life. He tried it that day. He tried to lose himself in his job. That didn't work. He needed a change, cold-turkey and absolutely completely.

And so he walked.

-----

Zim stood in the parking lot of the retail store for a long time, watching the empty space where once had been the body of the human whose life he had ruined. If this had been a few years ago… scratch that, if this had been a few weeks ago… Hell, if this had been a few days ago, Zim wouldn't feel so empty. Well, maybe he would. Things certainly would not have come about through the series of events that took place today. It hurt quite a bit, Zim had to admit. He felt responsible. Well, he WAS responsible. It was his fault the Dib lost his employment and it was his fault that the human wanted nothing to do with him any longer. He found himself wishing for the time when they fought. It was simpler.

Realizing he had stood in that spot for far longer than what would be considered normal, and taking note, at last, of the numerous people walking past him, in and out of the store, he decided to move along. He glanced back and forth for a moment, trying to decide where to go. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to go looking for his human. At least not so soon. But the thought of going home didn't exactly sound very inviting either. His whole base was a memento of that wretched, wonderful creature. But he had nowhere else to go. He couldn't stand mingling with the vermin that inhabited this planet so he had no one to turn to. A lone invader on an enemy planet. It used to sound so thrilling, so desirable. Now it felt to hollow and empty - desolate.

And so he walked.

-----

Dib's pocket buzzed. He pulled out his cell phone. "Dad." The name flashed on the little display screen. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He contemplated throwing the phone, just to get rid of it, but logic won again, and with a sigh he set it on silent so he wouldn't be bothered. He jammed his hand, along with the phone, back into his pocket.

His walk took him down the city streets, to the river, and over the bridge. He admired the scenery now and then as he walked. He ended up in the woods, just beyond the city-limits. The sun was getting low in the sky. The morose wanderer found a wide stump to sit and lean against.

Really, calling the area "the woods" was more of an ironic label since the barely-wild expanse of nature was very sparsely wooded, more like a park, really.

Even if the weather was cold, the autumnal colors were warm and he brushed his hand over the dead, brown grass, relishing the rough, comforting texture. He had no plans of getting up and moving any time soon. He leaned back and relaxed. He would let fate lead him from then on. He didn't have the strength of will to control his destiny any longer. Dreary, weary, he closed his eyes for a moment.

-----

Zim made his way out of the unsympathetic city and into the cold suburbs. He didn't bother to call for transport. He didn't have a target location he was trying to reach. He was just wandering, meandering aimlessly with only his loneliness for company. His mind was much too busy. He kept replaying past events in his head. He thought back to the first encounter with the boy.

How uncomplicated their lives were back then. Of course, he didn't realize it at that time. Back then he would have given anything to get rid of that thorn in his side. But it wasn't very long at all before he came to rely on him. Perhaps they relied on each other. Dib kept Zim motivated. Could it have been so long ago that he started to form this attachment? He tried to recall. He tried to remember when the first moment was that he stopped despising that particular human and when was it that he started to need him?

Zim was far past denying it. The lies he told himself now sounded ridiculously phony and he sneered at himself for believing them all this time. So much posturing. So many wasted opportunities. How long had Dib felt anything for him? Had he ever made it obvious to him? He didn't know. He had been blind for all those years. Blind to everything but conquering the human. It had superseded his mission and his focus had been so intense that the changes taking place between them, in their interactions with each other, flew past him unnoticed.

He found himself in front of his own home. He hadn't particularly wanted to return but now that he was there, he didn't really want to go out again. He opened his front door, unaccosted by his long-since-disposed-of robot parents. GIR was in the living room, wild-eyed with joy upon seeing his master again.

"Master! You're back! I missed you so much! So much I made you sammiches!"

Zim stopped in his tracks, looking thoughtful as if GIR had just said something profound.

"Imma go get 'em!" it squealed and jumped down off the couch and into the kitchen. The miniature robot returned not a half second later with a plate full of fried taquitos and a sombrero on his head. He held them up and out to Zim as if making an offering, his face squeezed into a wide and happy grin, his little tongue sticking out of his mouth dumbly. Zim started to reach for one, picking the greasy, crispy, Tex-Mex roll and twisting it, examining it in his hands with slight disgust. GIR giggled madly before dumping the remainder of the taquitos into his own mouth, crunching and smacking his robotic lips grossly. Zim's lip curled, repulsed. Dropping the abomination of Earth cooking and without a word he side-stepped around the robot and entered into his kitchen to make his way through the secret entrance to his subterranean base.

He had many rooms, many labs, in his underground base, but he chose to go back to the same one from before. This was his largest laboratory.

"Computer. Lights!" he demanded harshly. The brilliant illumination revealed all corners of the once darkened space. The thought occurred to him that Dib hadn't seen it fully lit up. It was really an amazing room. Very impressive with the large monitor and an extensive selection of scientific instruments. This kind of thing was right up the paranormal investigator's alley. Well, it was…

There, in the middle of the floor, was the big, metal box filled with vials of that cursed goopy blue stuff. The fizzy orange stuff was stored away. He had tons of that. He walked to the crate. He found it offensive now. He placed a hand on the open top of the box, resting directly on the top layer of up-right glass tubes. Almost reverently, he picked up a delicate capsule and held it up to his eyes and looked through the transparent, non-Newtonian fluid.

He could have gone his whole life and never used this damned substance and he would have been just fine. He thought about the boy strapped to that examining table. He thought of how helpless he was and how much he seemed to want him and he wished like Hell that he didn't care. A tear found it's way down his face. The cool streak on his cheek alerted him to his emotional state and he screamed, angry at himself, angry at Dib, angry at this fucking blue crap! He threw the vial, shattering it, splattering light blue gel on his floor. He tried to tip the crate but it was too stable to tip and too heavy also. He balled his fists and began pounding at the glass, some of it breaking, most of it repelling his blows.

Worn out, defeated, Zim slumped over the box. His knees hit the hard, cold floor but the sharp pain went ignored as he sprawled his upper body over the box. He didn't want to see them anymore. They were the start of all this. They were the cause of all his suffering. He wanted them gone, out of his sight.

Zim dragged his way to his computer with little effort and pressed a button. His monitor glowed with life. A petite, gray Vortian appeared on the screen looking slightly confused.

"Zim?"

"Um," The Irken started weakly. The familiar Vort could tell the alien on the other end of the line was looking a little worse for wear. "I need to return that stuff I got this week."

The gray alien on the other end rolled his eyes, readying himself to give Zim another lecture about how he could not take back the shipment.

"I just… I just don't want it in my base anymore. I don't want to see it again."

-----


	10. Chapter 10

Legal jargon:

Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators

Author's note:

This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.

------

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 10:**

Bort adjusted his red vest with the name badge prominently displayed until it rested comfortably on his small shoulders. He sighed in that uneasy way that guys tend to do when confronted by another potentially emotional male.

Zim was an Irken and technically the Vortians had been conquered and enslaved by the Irken race. Just given that small fact, Bort shouldn't have cared. But perhaps it was the fact that Zim was an outcast in his own society - whether he knew it or not - or the fact that he called ALL the time, he felt something similar to acquaintanceship with that particular member of the other species. That was probably why the little, gray alien felt somewhat obligated to ask the following:

"Hey, is something wrong, Zim?"

There was a long, long pause. The Irken didn't even look at the screen for a time. He just held an introspective, grim expression. The Vortian didn't say anything either. He maintained the incredibly uncomfortable silence, watching the motionless alien, waiting for some response.

Zim moved his head just slightly and drew in a moist-sounding breath, preparing to speak. His voice was soft and cracked.

"I just don't think this stuff works right."

Another long reticence followed before he spoke again. He turned his head slowly to the screen, looking at the Vortian for the first time since the call began.

"It's not what I thought it was."

Bort rubbed the sparse, rough stubble over his chin and jaw with a disproportionately small hand. His lip jutted in a considering-type expression.

"Well, what did you think it was, Zim?" he asked, just to have something to say.

"I don't know. It does something - something I didn't expect, like a side effect, only worse. I thought I'd be able to sense my victims' fear…" Zim made a crushing motion with his hand, "… anticipate their actions." He sat up straight and looked away from the monitor again, "… but it wasn't fear that I sensed." He looked down, putting a crooked finger to his mouth thoughtfully, his brow-line furrowed as if he was contemplating something very seriously. "I just need to return it. I'm not going to use it for my plans." His tone had changed, getting stronger as if a measure of his confidence had returned.

The slight change in Zim's air caused Bort to feel a little more at ease. "Can't you dump it somewhere? You know I can't take it back. Maybe you could mail it to the sludge planet! Those Sludgeons will take anything!" he started to chuckle to himself, thinking of the swampy surface of Sludgea with partially floating boxes of these chemicals and the ecstatic, blob-ish creatures consuming them.

Zim stood, stealing the smile from Bort's face. "I wouldn't wish this stuff on my worst enemy!" he growled.

Wide-eyed, the diminutive, gray alien dared to ask, horn-like antennae twitching, "Why?"

"Because I already used it on him," the Irken ended the call abruptly, marching back to the desk with the remainder of the mixture before turning toward the elevator, "and he's not my enemy anymore."

-----

Zim made his way to Dib's apartment. Sporting his black wig and purple contacts, he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, which wasn't easy considering how loudly he was knocking on the door. He pounded and pounded until he was certain his knuckles were bleeding under his gloves. He jiggled the door knob which was obviously locked.

"Dib! Dib I command you to open the door!" he yelled. Nothing. He slammed his shoulder into the heavy, metal surface a couple of times before seeking another entrance. If the Dib wasn't home now, he would be soon. He had to return to his domicile sometime. Where else could he go? With an annoyed grimace on his face, his pointed tongue jutting from his mouth in concentration, he tried the various windows. Locked. All of them perfectly secure. He narrowed his eyes. Zim would not be turned away.

Looking around cautiously for a moment, he extended the four metal legs from his Pak, each shooting a laser directed to a perfect pinpoint on the window. His aim was to cut a hole large enough for him to reach a hand in, but the sudden temper change from the hot laser on the cold glass caused it to shatter loudly.

Zim glanced around in fear but no person poked a head out or seemed to notice, so Zim took advantage of the new entryway and crawled over the crunching glass into Dib's bedroom.

Empty. The bedroom door was leaned against the wall, a bedpost was missing, and there were singe marks on the carpet. Zim tisked to himself about the state in which the human lived. He moved through the darkened rooms. Dib was nowhere to be found. Flicking on a light in the living room, the alien sat upon the sofa, noticing the file folders on the coffee table. He flipped through them and scoffed. So much research and that pathetic earth-monkey still knew so little about him. What a deplorable waste of time and talent. He unceremoniously tossed the folder away with a flick of the wrist, papers scattering about the floor. He crossed his legs and leaned back, getting comfortable. The Dib would be home soon and he'd be here, waiting.

-----

A moment had turned into hours and as Dib opened his eyes he began shaking violently from the cold.

"How long have I been asleep?!" he asked himself aloud. He pushed the sleeve of his coat up far enough to read his watch. 10:00p.m. Had he really been asleep that long? He stood, dusting himself off. The seat of his pants were cold and damp from sitting on the ground. He still didn't feel like being home but he certainly didn't want to stay in the woods at night. He began walking, practically blind, back in the direction of the smoggy city.

Stiff from the cold, and dazed from his frazzled brain, Dib walked, zombie-like, over the bridge, back to the crowded streets of town. Even so late, people were bustling about. Yellow light spilled from every store window and café. Neon signs of pinks and greens played over the darkened forms of the quickly-passing pedestrians.

The young man pulled his hands from the pockets of his thin trench coat and balled them together before his mouth, blowing warm air into them, trying to restore the feeling. He continued walking, coming upon a dingy diner, the welcome smell of strong, bitter coffee wafted through the tinkling door as he pushed it open, sounding the bell as he entered.

Despite the chill in the air and the busy streets outside, the small eatery was relatively empty. A slow night or perhaps just generally a slow business. A woman in a button-up, gray shirt and black slacks turned behind the counter to face him as he took a seat at the front. Her thick, short hair hardly swayed at all as she nodded her head in greeting.

"Just a cup of coffee, please." Dib stated, rubbing a hand through his hair wearily. He rested his elbows on the counter. "Oh, uh. And a beer." He added quickly as an afterthought. The brown-haired woman flashed him a half smile, nodding again and turning to the coffee pot.

"Trying to forget something?" The young woman commented, setting down a stoneware cup and saucer near the boy, pouring the coffee in with a delicious, liquid sound. She replaced the pot and retrieved a silver can from the cooler under the counter and sat that beside the cup.

"Huh?" Dib asked, unsure how she came to such a conclusion.

"Ordering a beer with your meal is one thing. So is just ordering a beer by itself. But ordering a beer AND a cup of coffee. That's kind of weird, I think." she still held that same half smile, hazel eyes flashing with a wisdom and confidence far beyond her apparent years.

Dib smiled also, a weak, sad sort of smile.

-----

Time passed. So much time! Hours, he was sure. The Irken had to admit he was starting to get antsy and worried. Using Dib's own home phone, he dialed the number to Dib's cell phone. The line rang and rang and rang before a rather unimaginative voicemail message came up on the other end, indicating the number that Zim had reached and what information to leave after the tone. Zim growled and hung up.

He paced for a moment before deciding to kill time by going through Dib's cabinets. He rummaged through everything. Not a single item was of any interest to the alien. But he left the mess he had made - boxes, cans, and dishes on the floor and counters, cupboard doors open. He tried calling again. The got the same result. More time to kill.

He started going through Dib's closets, finding boxes and boxes full of more research materials. Zim started snooping through those as well. Almost in the way one might go through old, once lost photo albums, Zim carried the boxes into the comfortable living room and began looking through the files, starting with the very earliest. He had moved the phone to the coffee table so he could be nearer to it.

The earliest findings were venomous and practically incoherent. No information, just a lot of angry conjecture. Ah, he remembered those times. He wasn't offended or saddened because he knew he was an active participant in the hatred at the time. In fact, it was almost heart-warming and nostalgic. Yes. Things certainly were simpler back then.

Another phone call, another answering machine, more files.

As the dates passed and more folders were discarded on the floor, the information became tighter, more accurate. The observations were more correct and thorough, and the anger slowly seemed to lessen. For a while the entries were neutral and scientific, with no emotion evident in them at all.

Zim called again. Still nothing.

And here it was. Finally. He didn't know how long he had sat on that sofa, didn't know how long he'd been in that apartment, but he finally arrived at the stock of files from this year. Zim frowned as he read through them. The Dib seemed sick in the head. His writings now were filled with his obsessive thoughts. Zim always knew the boy spent an unhealthy amount of time chasing him, but he never realized how big a part of the human's life he took up. His meticulous note-taking revealed much and the writing left little exempt from his life. It became a diary, of sorts. No longer were these files of paranormal investigation but more hidden pleas for attention. The alien closed his eyes, not sure if he wanted to continue reading. He picked up the phone and dialed the number again, then again, then again. He removed his artificial lenses from his burning eyes but continued skimming over the papers in his hands. He continued to call, feeling desperate for the human in the way it had seemed the human had been desperate for him.

-----

Dib drained probably his sixth cup of coffee. His beer still sat mostly untouched. He never had been much of a drinker. And besides, beer didn't taste very good anyway. The waitress, having no other customers to tend to that night, was hovering nearby to refresh his beverage as he sat the empty cup back on its saucer with a clink.

"… anyway," she continued in a long, one-sided conversation she had been holding with the boy, "I graduated art school and ended up here. But this is only temporary until I can get a job in a field I actually WANT to work in." She chuckled good-naturedly. Dib smiled politely at the completion of her story.

"Hey, don't you think it's about time you went home?"

Dib was almost offended for a moment until he realized he had been drinking coffee in that diner for nearly 4 hours.

"Why? Are you closing soon?" The man asked with a tinge of sarcasm to his voice.

"Listen," she commented, unphased, "you've been drinking coffee like I see most men drink booze. But you're not shaky or energetic. You still look pretty tired. Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

"What? No, 'you don't have to go home but you can't stay here' speech?" He muttered into the fresh, rich-brown liquid in his cup. Tiny trails of steam danced from the dark, reflective surface. He closed his eyes and took a sip. Finally aggravated, the short-haired woman in the gray shirt took the cup right out of the man's hand.

"Hey, you! Don't talk to me like that. I apologize for interrupting your escapism. But maybe it would do you some good to just man-up and stop wallowing in what ever sorrow you've chosen to bury yourself in!"

Dib was taken aback by the abrupt statement. He furrowed his brow, starting to defend himself angrily.

"I'm an adult, thank you very much and I'm paying for this coffee. If I choose to run away from the shattered remains of a ruined life, then that's my business." Dib quirked his lips in annoyance.

"Is it also your business to be a rude asshole? Because if it is, you're doing a fantastic job. My shift is over in about a half an hour so if you could settle up your bill before I leave, that would be great." She crossed her arms and turned away from him, heading back toward the kitchen. Dib rested his chin on the counter in front of him and groaned. At the door to the back, the waitress stopped and turned. "You know, what ever is waiting for you back in your life, it's probably not as bad as you're letting yourself think it is and maybe just getting up and going back could fix some things. Maybe swallow your pride a little bit and something nice might happen to you." Her arms remained crossed but her face was almost pouty as if she were talking about him and not to him. She paused for a moment, shrugged, and walked back into the kitchen.

Dib stood from his place at the counter, wide-eyed. He blinked slowly, letting the girl's message sink in. He dug in his pocket and pulled out $5 for the coffee and beer (which still remained more than half full, now warm on the table-top) and another wad of ones, much much more than he paid for the drinks, as a tip. He patted the counter twice loudly to signal his departure - kind of a long-distance pat on the back for the woman who bluntly set him straight.

The door jingled merrily again as he pushed his way back out into the world. The sun was starting to rise. The sky was a dirty mixture of blue and orange with wisps of grayish clouds streaking the sky, waiting to turn white when the sun finally ascended across the arch of the heavens. He breathed the cold, crisp air.

Yeah. He'd go home. Running away was childish. He'd curl up in bed, forget about everything, and then he'd handle living after he woke up. He just needed a little time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Legal jargon:**

**Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators**

**Author's note:**

**This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.**

**------**

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 11:**

Dib arrived at his home. He reached a hand out to the knob when he sensed something amiss. He let the intuition pass as he slid his key into the lock and pushed the door open. The interior of his apartment seemed impenetrably black compared to the bright, sunny day outside. He walked in blindly, not taking the time to let his eyes adjust before closing the door behind him. A few blinks and his eyes started to pick up on a light source coming from his living room. He thought and thought but he couldn't remember whether he left any lights on or not when he left home yesterday.

The sinking feeling of potential danger was not enough to detour him from continuing on into his living room, but when he stumbled over a box in the middle of the floor, he was certain something was wrong.

"A burglar?" he breathed to himself, but even with clear evidence of an intruder, he couldn't convince himself that it would be something so mundane. He grimaced as his sofa came into view and the floor around it, littered with his file folders, papers, photographs, and notes. He felt his chest tighten. He wasn't particularly looking forward to what he might find.

He reached out a hand as he slowly approached the couch. As his coffee table came into view, there sat the alien, telephone in his lap and receiver in his hand. Zim raised his ruby eyes to the nearing man and dropped the receiver back onto it's base. Looking rumpled and tired, the alien raised a pink-sleeved arm to help push him to a standing position. They stood in silence for a long while. Dib seemed to be supporting himself on the back of the sofa while Zim stood nervously at attention.

"What are you doing here, Zim?" Dib's voice barely broke through. It was so soft. It wasn't angry or confused. It was almost like a statement except for the structure.

"I tried to call you." Zim offered.

Dib remembered his phone, pulling it from his pocket and reading the display. "53 missed calls." He almost smiled but couldn't quite find the strength yet.

"I was worried." the alien shrugged. "I, uh, missed you."

Dib frowned, his eyebrows tensed upwards. His mouth twitched involuntarily as he tried to hide the impulse to sob. "Why?" he managed to choke out. Zim didn't know how to answer such a question. He side stepped out from between the coffee table and the couch so he could move closer to the human male in front of him. Dib took a cautious step back which hurt Zim's feelings, just a little. The Irken closed his eyes and took a deep breath, composing himself enough to do his spiel.

"We're not adversaries anymore, Dib. Almost everything I know of your world I learned from you. I need you. I just didn't know how much or why."

"I think I need you too, Zim. But I wasted my life chasing you and now I need to learn how to exist without you." He tried to sound resolved but his counterpart wasn't willing to accept such an answer.

"Now? Really? You spent 11 years of your life chasing me and finally when I offer to turn myself over to you, suddenly you're done. You want nothing more to do with me." Zim scoffed, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

Both men scowled at one another. Dib took in a deep breath, preparing for a long and verbose argument.

"Oh, what changed your mind, Zim? How can you hate me all this time and suddenly you miss me - suddenly you're worried about me when I'm gone for a day!? You kidnapped me, molested me, indulged me and made me think you reciprocated these feelings you unearthed in me. Then you ripped it all away and cast me aside. On top of that, to make matters worse, you continued your demented game at my job, no less, and got me fired!" He made wide hand gestures in pained aggravation.

Zim stepped up to the verbal challenge, straightening his posture and standing on his toes to be a little more imposing.

"Don't even talk about your job to me, you worm! You seemed more than happy to participate …"

"Of course I did! How could I resist?! I fucking love you, Zim!" Dib interrupted the alien, shouting out the confession that surprised even himself. When the shock of it died down enough, he continued. "But nothing you have inside of you for me could match what I have for you. And that's why I have to stop." His tone was soft and full of regret.

Zim clenched his teeth, jutting his jaw forward. He was angry at the boy's doubt in him but at the same time, he had to admit that it made perfect sense. He huffed as if readying himself for something physically taxing. Looking back, he pressed the side of his Pak which opened, dropping two vials into his gloved hand.

Dib stepped backward, raising his hands defensively in front of him.

"You're not using that stuff on me again! Not again!" Dib pleaded. The invader didn't even acknowledge the boy's cries. He forced himself forward, his greater strength assisting in forcing the human into compliance. He rubbed a small amount of the blue, goopy stuff onto Dib's forehead and rubbed it in, then took the orange-ish brown, fizzy concoction and smeared a small amount on his own forehead, rubbing it in, as well. Dib was slightly confused for a moment, noting that the alien was switching salves to reverse the results. It took only a moment before Dib began to feel Zim's emotional state in tandem with his own. It was intense and firey and the sensation almost caused his eyes to roll back in his head and totally give in.

Endorphins rushed and Dib found himself gasping when Zim forced himself on him again. This high. It was so intense. Was this what Zim felt from him? Was his stronger? Weaker? He couldn't know. It was like being in love times two!

The alien parted the human's lips with his tentacle-like tongue before Dib joined in of his own volition. Each one reveled in the texture of the foreign-feel of the other's very different oral muscles. Zim's hands snaked through the boy's black hair. Dib's arms found home around the alien's thin shoulders.

Dib was the first to pull away from the kiss. He was like a greedy boy with a free pass to Candy Land. He had everything he wanted right in this moment and he could feel that the object of his affections, the star player of his fantasies, really did desire him as well. He nibbled and sucked along Zim's jaw and down his neck, eliciting the occasional squeaking sound from the shorter male.

But Zim's dominant nature would not tolerate being bowed back much longer. Fluidly, he drew his hands free from Dib's mane, taking the tip of his glove in this teeth and pulling his clawed hand free. He repeated the action with the other, keeping his eyes coyly on his lover, his lips playing a smirk across them. Six spindly fingers in total danced over Dib's shoulders. Zim gripped the coat and pushed it off the man's body, letting it drop in a heap on the floor. Dib took the initiative to remove his own shirt, hastily jerking it over his head, his glasses getting caught up in the fabric, forgotten about for the moment. His world wasn't as sharp as it had been, but Zim was close enough to remain in good enough focus. The alien began removing his shirt as well - a slightly more complicated process. The skin-tight fabric peeled away luxuriously from his smooth, toned body and stretched out to slip out from around the cumbersome Pak that was vital for the alien's existence.

Dib stood back, mouth agape, marveling at the site before him. His mouth practically watered for the smooth, delicate skin of the alien's lean, lithe torso. Zim seemed to be examining the human in much the same way, but perhaps from a more subjective stand-point.

"Humans look so strange. Why do I find you so attractive?" Zim stated casually. Dib was speechless, taking the comment as a compliment and finding the flattery added to his arousal.

With a lusty "mmm," Zim placed his hands back on Dib's shoulders, running them up and down his chest before using his strength and dominance to lower the boy down to the soft carpet behind the couch. Holding himself up on all fours, the invader loomed over his prey. His serpentine tongue slithered from its resting place to flick his lover's lips. Dib opened his mouth, extending his own tongue slightly to meet the other's. Zim's antennae flitted forward, brushing softly across the human's forehead. They were soft and feathery, like wispy hair with the ability to hold its form and move on its own. The caress felt amazing. He wasn't sure what Zim was doing or why but went with it. A hand lazily found it's way up, taking the tip of one of the dainty appendages , holding it gently between to fingers and rubbing slightly with his thumb.

Zim trembled at the touch, relaxing his arms and allowing himself to rest fully on the warm, strong body below him. He could feel Dib's hot hardness pressing itself eagerly through his pants. He idly opened his legs and clenched them closed again, capturing the bulge and causing a sound like a groan and a sigh to escape Dib's throat. Lustily, Dib moved his chin up, taking the antenna into his mouth, licking and sucking it and swirling it in his mouth.

Dib sat up, taking the alien with him. Now being controlled by more primal instincts, he took the alien by the wrists and pushed him firmly against the back of the couch and began invading the Irken's mouth again.

Zim kissed roughly in return before pulling back. "Just because you're bigger than me, you think you get to be the leader?" Zim gave a half smile and wrestled his arms free.

Still hot and needy, Dib pushed in again, this time sliding his hands down the green, smooth skin to the top of Zim's form-fitting pants. In a fluid motion, Zim took Dib's hands in his own, bringing them up and sucking on the foreign digit, reveling in the power he had over the other.

The human let out an almost pained utterance as he watched the suggestive display, feeling the molten interior of the alien's mouth. He licked his own lips unconsciously.

"Not so fast, Dib-human." Zim purred past the finger in his mouth.

Misconstruing the meaning behind the statement, Dib's mind went frantic.

"No? Oh. Well, you know, if you're worried… we could just try it once. Just to try it. It could be a casual thing…" His quickly devolving mind tried to maintain the track it was on - target locked, all systems go! He leaned in, peppering the alien in brief but hungry kisses as he spoke. He moved his free hand back to fondle Zim's antenna again. He earned a squeak for his troubles. The adorable sound was just almost too much for the human male to handle and his member twitched at the ready.

Zim silenced him with a gentle finger to the boy's lips before guiding him to stand with him. "Shh. If it's not epic, it's not worth doing."


	12. Chapter 12

**Legal jargon:**

**Invader Zim and all related characters and titles are the creative property of Viacom/Nickelodeon and/or Jhonen Vasquez. All use of these characters, settings, and titles are intended for non-profit fan-work and not intended to infringe upon the rights of said owners/creators**

**Author's note:**

**This fan fiction is ZADR-oriented. If you are in the Invader Zim fandom, you likely understand that ZADR stands for Zim and Dib romance. I respect all fan-pairings in the show, whether I support them or not. I would hope you, the reader, would have that same respect and either enjoy the story or, if you find ZADR offensive, then to not read or comment negatively.**

**Additional author's note:**

**This particular chapter is rather graphic. It depicts sexual acts between two adult males. Though it was not written in a bawdy or excessive manner (I heavily employed euphemisms to convey the scene) the meaning and content is evident and of an undoubtedly adult nature. Please use discretion when reading. Thanks. **

**------**

**Consumed: Always**

-----

**Chapter 12:**

The human and the alien stood, pressing their bare chests together, wrapping their arms around one another. They embraced and kissed, allowing their hands to wander around, exploring the untamed territory of foreign land.

"I want you, Dib-human. I want you to belong to Zim." he uttered in a husky whisper. Dib could feel the rumbling of his voice to his very core and shivered. They continued their foreplay, hungry for it as if the very act of touching was keeping them alive.

"How can you be sure?" Dib dared to ask, pulling his mouth from the invader only long enough to pant out his words before being drawn back to him like a magnet. The gasping and moaning from both never ceasing. "How do you know it's not that stuff you used on us."

"Did you still want me at the store?" Zim growled into the human's ear.

"Yes." Dib whispered without hesitation.

"Because I sure as fuck wanted you." He looked into Dib's heated, glassy eyes, the blush covering his cheeks like a veil. He took a moment to flick his tongue playfully up the boy's face before forcing the human's head to the side so he could attack the sensitive skin of his neck. Dib groaned with pleasure. His skin tightened as goose-bumps formed on his arms. He could feel his hair stand on end and he felt such a surge of emotion that he almost cried. He tried to return the favor as best as he could by massaging the alien's shoulders and back, desperately clutching and gripping through his own ecstasy. The complete want from the man caused Zim to smile. He loved feeling in control.

Zim scratched his claws lightly down Dib's bare back, all the way down, sliding his hands within the back of his pants, grasping lewdly in a possessive gesture. He began kneading the soft flesh there.

"Disrobe." Zim softly commanded. In Dib's dazed state, it took a moment to comprehend the instruction but eagerly did as he was told. Zim backed him against the couch before dropping to his knees to examine the human's package. Dib couldn't help but feel self-conscious under the scrutinizing gaze of the invader. Zim's brow was furrowed as he examined the member very closely. The extremity was a paradox, he found, as he gently stroked the shaft, finding the skin very, very soft and yet, also very hard.

"Dib, I believe you are suffering a hernia." Zim stated flatly. "It seems your testes have been forced out of your body and left to dangle on the outside."

Dib blushed furiously. "Uh, that's how they're supposed to look." he defended, kneeling down also to be eye to eye with the alien.

"Oh." Zim responded.

"Would you mind if I did some examining of my own?" the human smirked playfully. Zim caught the drift and smiled as well, standing to give the human access. Dib felt as if he were about to uncover a spectacular treasure that he had been hunting for his whole life. In a way, it almost was! He positioned his hands at the top of the tight, black pants. Zim's leg muscles were evident through the fitted fabric. Dib wondered how he never noticed before. His breath caught in his throat when that thought came to his mind. He lifted his head and extended his tongue to press his mouth against the soft skin just above the pant-line. He licked and kissed and sucked on the smooth stomach and as he began sliding the pants lower, he followed the barrier with his mouth. Zim shuddered and moaned with the intimate contact over such a sensitive and unexplored region. The alien rested his hand tenderly on the boy's head, combing his fingers idly through the thick, black mane.

After what seemed like an eternity, Dib had finally drawn the garment low enough to expose the alien's most private area. What Dib found was a bulge that appeared to be a pouch, of sorts. Upon exposure to the air and the stimulation the human was providing, a pink, fleshy phallus extended out, glistening, moist, and ready. The vision before him was different and erotic. He felt his heart jump. He blushed harder as it extended. His curiosity as well as desire guided his actions and he opened his mouth, taking as much of Zim's member as he could.

The alien's knees buckled and he almost couldn't maintain his balance. He gasped and moaned, tightening his grip in the human's hair.

"Oh, my gawd." Zim hissed as he started thrusting slightly with the rhythm of the boy's bobbing head. Regaining an ounce of composure, the alien placed his hands firmly on either side of the human's head, pulling him up gently to be face to face with him. They kissed passionately, Zim dipping his tongue deep into his lover's mouth, tasting himself.

Both men's hard sex organs rubbed against each other as they ground their hips together. Their voices created a discordant sort of harmony as they murmured, moaned, panted, and gasped. Zim reached down below, delicately brushing his palm back and forth along the underside of Dib's erection. He savored the soft, dry skin and the differences in shape and texture. Satisfying a curiosity of his own, the alien knelt before the other man as if to an alter.

Gripping tightly with one hand, he allowed his tongue to dance airily across the surface before wrapping itself around the stalk like a whip. Using his noose-like hold, he pulled Dib's organ into his mouth, slurping noisily and enjoying the reaction his manipulations elicited. The human almost fell back over the couch, trying to hold himself up in a physically weakened state. His mouth hung open as if locked in a silent scream. His breath came in short bursts. His body felt hot all over and he was already covered in a dewy layer of sweat.

Pulling his mouth away languidly, Zim wiped the back of his hand across his lips, taking the sheen of saliva away as it went. Dib shuddered and swooned at the sudden absence of sensation. Rising to a stand, Zim was caught in the human's embrace as he needfully attacked the extra-terrestrial in a fury of licks, bites, and kisses.

Zim noted that Dib was behaving like a hungry animal. His single-mindedness emboldened him beyond thought and reason. Zim pushed him back roughly.

"Down boy!" He playfully commanded. The human was more than happy to play his game. He gave easily under the dominant male's pressing hand, moving him down and back on to the floor. Positioning himself between the other's legs, Zim rested his hands on Dib's knees and delighted himself against the other's libidinal parts. "I may not have conquered your planet yet, Dib, but I consider conquering you to be my greatest victory."

"Just shut up and fuck me." Dib insisted in a deep, seductive voice. He lifted his upper body enough so he could easily slide his hands up Zim's muscular thighs. The demand from below him caused the invader to smile. He nodded slightly, preparing to oblige.

He drove his slick hardness into the other male's opening. He pressed firmly, burying himself up to the hilt. Dib's voice rang out, deep and feral. Zim's in-control façade melted away as his face took on a dreamier expression. His eyes squinted closed and his lips parted slightly to allow the escape of a continuous stream of soft, squeaky moans. He doubled over so he could wrap himself around his partner, hugging him close as he pounded harder and faster.

The long thrusts continuously slammed into Dib's sweet-spot, bathing him in velvety ecstasy. It hurt, but it also felt good. He was completely dazed, feeling as if he were floating, or perhaps suspended in a fluffy cloud of absolute pleasure and completeness.

A series of gasping cries preceded Zim's climax. Tensing and shuddering, the alien clung to the human's firm, nude body. Dib's orgasm ripped through him as well as copious amounts of his own sticky, white fluid coated both men's stomachs.

Dib wrapped his arms firmly about the smaller form on top of him. He squeezed and cuddled, nuzzling his face against the alien's. Both men gulped in heaving breaths, just on the verge of hyperventilation, trying to feed oxygen into their taxed bodies.

"I love you, Zim. I love you so much." Dib almost sobbed, his voice only slightly above a whisper. The alien ran his hand gently up the human's face and into his hair. He combed his fingers through the course, dark strands. Glazed, red eyes peered lovingly into the other's honey-gold ones.

"I want you for my own from now on, Dib." The request caused Dib to smile warmly against his partner's head. He gently pet the feathery-soft antennae that rested there.

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired. Will you sleep with me?" Dib asked, unconcerned about refusal.

"Let's sleep in here on your couch. I kind of broke your bedroom window to get in here."

Dib chuckled at the confession and nodded. The two sat up, using Dib's discarded clothes to quickly clean off. After throwing on fresh attire and pulling out comfortable bedding, the new couple cuddled together on the sofa under a thick comforter. The shades drawn, the room was dark and the two lay cozy in each other's embrace. Drifting off into a contented slumber, the both of the managed to murmur in unison -

"I love you."


End file.
